Flash-tour to Baikal in May. For those in search of bright emotions and unforgettable impressions.
You’ll meet the sunrise on the two-headed Shamanka Rock in the most sacred place on Olkhon Island and you’ll get filled with the energy of the place.
You’ll go jeep-riding along the alien-like roads of Tazheran steppe and you’ll see the Martian landscapes, petroglyphs, fantastic bays.
You’ll enjoy the aroma of the coming spring and will get warmed up by the rays of the welcoming spring sun. You’ll see huge chunks of ice floating on the lake. The trip will take your mind off the bother of the routine life.
You’ll take a 94km-ride on the train along the legendary Krugobaikalskaya railway and you’ll have a chance to admire the architecture of bridges, stone galleries, tunnels and the magnificent landscapes.‘Welcome to Irkutsk!’ These will be the first words of our smiley guide.
The first thing that impresses is the spring air, fresh and filled with the aroma of blooming trees and herbs, and the bright green colour of newly sprung leaves. It’s no wonder because Irkutsk is surrounded with forests from all sides.
Let’s not waste our time, let the journey begin!
We’ll get comfortably seated in Mercedes Sprinter and go on a sightseeing tour in Irkutsk. The city has preserved its original character. We’ll see old lacey merchants’ houses, wooden and stone estates.
On our way to Baikal, we’ll stop in one of the best cultural theme parks of Russia the Golden Horde.This is the place where one can get acquainted with the living of the Buryats. We’ll become spectators and participants of a colourful entertainment program.
We’ll be invited then to try lunch consisting of traditional Buryat dishes and beverages.
After lunch, we’ll go to Sakhyurta settlement, 180 km away, where a ferry will take us to Olkhon, the largest and the only inhabited island on Baikal. Olkhon is considered to be the heart of Baikal and its tourists’ Mecca.
Upon arrival to Olkhon, we’ll be taken by UAZ to our comfortable hotel.
Full of emotions, we check in our comfortable rooms. Dinner (is not included in the tour cost)
Night in the hotel.
Today, we’ll have a chance to unveil the sacral mysteries of Olkhon.
After breakfast, we’ll go to the sacred Burkhan Cape to admire Shamanka Rock. The morning air is soaked with the flower aroma.
Old serghe poles will show us the way to Burkhan Cape. In order to come there, we need to receive the permission from the master of the place, so we’ll tie brightly-coloured ribbons on serghe and leave coins as our gifts to the spirits.
Walk a little more, and here’s Shamanka, the double-headed rock! It becomes immediately obvious that this sacred place is full of power and energy. In the old times, shamans from different tribes used to come here to make sacrifices and perform rituals.
We’ll move further on along the roads, so rough in the spring time, to the north, across the territory of Pribaikalsky National Park to Khoboy Cape. Nature lovers will appreciate the spring beauty of the place practically untouched by civilization.
The road to Khoboy when taken in reliable and fast UAZ is fun.
Moving across the fields, forests, sands, we finally arrive to our destination. A stunning view will open before our eyes! All the hustle and bustle of mundane life will stay somewhere far away from here. The majesty and grandeur of Baikal make one’s heart stop!
Lunch will be special too. We’ll have an open-air lunch, a picnic, in other words.
On the way back we’ll share our impressions from the northernmost point of Khoboy island, which means ‘fang’ in Buryat.
After a long day, the pillow in the hotel seems so soft, and the blanket so comfortable.
A tasty breakfast will give a boost of energy for the whole day.
And we’re ready to travel in the splendid Tazheran steppe.
Powerful jeeps used in expeditions will be waiting for us. Once we’re comfortably seated, we’re ready to go!
The first thing one notices, is the unusual steppe landscapes resembling to southern Mongolian steppes, so untypical for taiga Siberia. Spring is the season when they are the most picturesque. Bright shades of moss, from wine red to yellowish red, the exuberant wild grasses of the steppe… Unbelievable splendour! The landscape outside the jeep window reminds of Martian images, and mineral and salty lakes resemble space landscapes.
On some rocks one can see petroglyphs – images of running deer, other animals, people. Scientists believe that they’re about 2 500 years old.
Substantial and tasty open-air lunch will be served just in time.
Then we’ll go to Listvyanka settlement and check in a beautiful hotel Krestovaya Pad where we’ll take a steam-bath in a banya after such an amazing day.
Night in Listvyanka hotel.
Good morning. The early birds can take a walk along the shore and enjoy the vast waters of the cleanest lake, look at mountain ridges hidden by the fog. The aroma of grasses, flowers, water all come together and fill our nostrils with the heady air of Baikal in spring!
After breakfast we’ll go on an amazing ride on the Circum-Baikal Railway. A ferry will take us to Port Baikal station.
Let’s take our seats near the window and take out the cameras. We have so many things to see yet, it will be a tour inside a tour. The Circum-Baikal Railway was built 115 years ago along Baikal shoreline. If you look at it from above, it resembles of a crescent moon. Buryats believe it to be the symbol of opulence and immortality. On one side of the road, you will see stunning mountains, on the other side, vast waters of the cleanest lake on Earth. Ice floating on the lake and the shore enveloped in spring – what a contrast!
On our way, we’ll see the embodiment of architectural genius: 450 bridges and 30 tunnels. They fully fit in the magnificent Baikal landscapes and complement them!
We’ll have lunch in the train while admiring the landscapes outside our windows.
By the evening, we’ll be back in Irkutsk and move in a wonderful Baikal Forest Hotel.
The time has come to say good-bye…
Don’t hesitate and choose something Siberian for breakfast. You probably already have made a list of your favourite dishes.
Personal belongings and souvenirs packed, the shuttle is waiting. Time to go to the airport.
These May holidays on Baikal will surely stay in your memory for many years to come.
Come to visit us at the address: Irkutsk, Kievskaya str. 7, office 505A, 5th floor
